Seeley Swan to Welcome

Grandparents honored
at school assembly

Music teacher Tom Larson plays "Love Somebody" on the
guitar while the kindergarten through 6th grade sang along.

Sylvia Roeder (above) was one of the warm-hearted, beautiful adopted
grandmas who helped make Grandparents day very special.

Fourth grader Brittney Wahl kicked off Grandparents Day by a poem
about grandparents which was written by a third grader in California. The
poem had a lot of great lines such as, " Grandparents don't have to
do anything except be there. They're old, so they shouldn't play hard or
run. Everybody should try to have one, especially if you don't have television
because Grandparents are the only grownups who have got time."

The Funky Chicken is a dance everybody likes to doeven
an adopted grandparent! Some of the kids don't have grandparents in the
area, so they adopted some for the day. (L-R) Lindsey Hipkins, Anthony Esparza,
Adopt-a-Grandpa Everett Crowther from Colorado, and Grandma-From-The-Area
Vera Nelson.

Story & photos
by Patricia Swan SmithFor the Pathfinder
April 16, 1998

What are grandparents for? Well some of them make cookies. Some of them
extend a warm hand when you're sad. Some of them will take you fishing.
Many have time to spend with little ones. And in Seeley, besides all these
wonderful things, you can even catch them doing the Funky Chicken dance!

We have some pretty cool grandparents, and they proved that at the first
Annual Grandparents' Day sponsored by the Seeley Lake P.T.A. at Seeley Elementary
last Thursday.

It started out with an assembly in the new gym. Fourth grader Brittney
Wahl kicked it off by reading the following poem written by a third grader
in California.

"A Grandmother is a lady who has no children of her own. She likes
other people's little children. A Grandfather is a man Grandmother. He goes
for walks with the boys and they talk about fishing and tractors and stuff
like that.

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there. They're old,
so they shouldn't play hard or run. It is enough if they drive us to the
market where the pretend horse is and have lots of dimes. Or, if they take
us for a walk, they should slow down past things like pretty leaves or caterpillars.
They should never say "Hurry up".

Usually they are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes. They wear glasses
and funny underwear. They can take their teeth and gums off.

They don't have to be smart, only answer questions like, "Why do
dogs hate cats and what is God like?" They don't talk baby talk like
visitors do, because it's hard to understand. When they read to us, they
don't skip or mind if it is the same story again and again.

Everybody should try to have one, especially if you don't have television
because Grandparents are the only grownups who have got time."

After the poem, Tom Larson played the guitar while kindergarten through
6th grade sang "Love Somebody".

Over 90 grandparents participated. Many children who do not have grandparents
in the area were able to adopt grandparents for the day.

When the assembly and Funky Chicken was over, the grandparents were then
escorted to their grandchildren's rooms. They shared their experiences about
what school was like when they were children. You know, things like "When
I was a kid, we had to walk 3 miles uphill both ways to school in blowing
snow storms."

Some of the grandparents who couldn't attend sent letters to their grandchildren
telling them about their school days, and the students read their letters
during the program. Many of the letters told the stories of the one-room
schools. Another letter told about how a grandparent had to quit school
at age 11 because he was needed on the farm.

Besides the grandparents telling their stories, the students shared some
of their school activities with their grandparents. Some of the grandparents
went on Easter egg hunts, while others attended music class.

While the Seeley P.T.A. has been in existence off and on for years, it
basically remained in existence to sponsor the Missoula Children's Theater.
The MCT came to the school every other year.

In the fall of 1995, it was reactivated to sponsor the first Annual Boo
Bash. In the fall of 1996, they had active officers and regular meetings
taking place.

Since that time, they have added new events and fund-raisers with the
hopes that the events continue on an annual basis.

The Boo Bash has been a great success for the past three years. It gives
the kids a safe and fun place to spend Halloween. Along with the Boo Bash/Chili
Feed, the P.T.A. sponsored a "His & Hers" raffle. The money
from these activities allowed the P.T.A. to create a "Pocket Grant"
for each classroom.

According to P.T.A. member Wendy Wetherell, many of the teachers spend
money out of their own pockets for extra school items during the year, thus
the "Pocket Grant" was created. This year, many classrooms received
approximately $100 in grant money. For example, the second grade purchased
a dictionary set, and the fifth grade purchased a new world map.

The P.T.A. also donated $1,500 toward the purchase of the gym floor mats,
which protect the floor and allows various functions to be held in the gym
while preserving the floor surface.

It provides a Christmas Store to allow students to purchase Christmas
gifts for parents or siblings. The items are all donated and the prices
are very inexpensive.

Another yearly activity is Teachers & Staff Appreciation Luncheon.
The P.T.A. provides lunch and a gives a small gift to each teacher and the
staff members.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, April 29th, at the Elementary School
at 6:30 p.m.. Election of officers will be held during this meeting, and
the final plans for the May Ice Cream Social will be made.

The next fund-raiser is set for Friday, May 1st. The Ice Cream Social-Dessert
Auction will start at 7 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Grade School. The proceeds
from this event will be marked "Road Trip Grant," and will fund
classroom field trips which were completely cut from the school budget.

You do not have to attend the meetings to help out. You may volunteer
to help with some of the events throughout the year. If you are unable to
volunteer or attend the annual functions, and would like to make a donation,
you may send your donation to: P.T.A., P.O. Box 59, Seeley Lake, MT 59868.

For more information, please contact one of the officers or check the
P.T.A. Bulletin Board at the Grade school, which is located in the hall
north of the main office.

"We would like to thank all the parents and the community for their
support for the events like the Boo Bash and the His and Hers raffle,"
Wendy Wetherell said. "Just volunteering to help with one or two events
per year or volunteering to be a classroom parent can make such a difference.
Look at what a handful of us have accomplished, and just imagine what we
could do to make a difference in the life of our children.